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A protective role for autophagy in vitiligo.

ABSTRACT: A growing number of studies supports the existence of a dynamic interplay between energetic metabolism and autophagy, whose induction represents an adaptive response against several stress conditions. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved and a highly orchestrated catabolic recycling process that guarantees cellular homeostasis. To date, the exact role of autophagy in vitiligo pathogenesis is still not clear. Here, we provide the first evidence that autophagy occurs in melanocytes and fibroblasts from non-lesional skin of vitiligo patients, as a result of metabolic surveillance response. More precisely, this study is the first to reveal that induction of autophagy exerts a protective role against the intrinsic metabolic stress and attempts to antagonize degenerative processes in normal appearing vitiligo skin, where melanocytes and fibroblasts are already prone to premature senescence.

SUBMITTER: Bastonini E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7994839 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A protective role for autophagy in vitiligo.

Bastonini Emanuela E Kovacs Daniela D Raffa Salvatore S Delle Macchie Marina M Pacifico Alessia A Iacovelli Paolo P Torrisi Maria Rosaria MR Picardo Mauro M

Cell death & disease 20210325 4

A growing number of studies supports the existence of a dynamic interplay between energetic metabolism and autophagy, whose induction represents an adaptive response against several stress conditions. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved and a highly orchestrated catabolic recycling process that guarantees cellular homeostasis. To date, the exact role of autophagy in vitiligo pathogenesis is still not clear. Here, we provide the first evidence that autophagy occurs in melanocytes and fibrobl ...[more]

PMID: 33767135

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